Lower Manhattan Park Hosting 3-Day Marine Science Festival

GREENWICH VILLAGE, NY — Hudson River Park's annual SUBMERGE Marine Science Festival will take place over a three-day period next week with in-person and virtual events.

Hudson River Park goes from Midtown on the westside of Manhattan, through Greenwich and the West Village, and ends in Tribeca.

The park's three-day festival will take place from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21.

Each day of the festival will begin with a series of virtual immersive showcases from local community and environmental partners, followed by a live panel discussion led by experts, and an interactive performance from scientist Al Leszczynski.

The festival day will then conclude with in-person tours and activities of Hudson River Park led by Park's River Project staff.

The festival seeks to educate New Yorkers, particularly local students, about the ecological importance of the Park’s 400-acre Estuarine Sanctuary and inspire budding scientists through fun and engaging marine science programming, according to a news release.

“The Hudson River Park's SUBMERGE festival showcases the wild and wonderful aspects of New York's waterways,” said Patrick Foster, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Regional Director, in a news release. “From the spectacular fish that thrive in the Harbor to the diverse communities that utilize the River for recreation and reflection, SUBMERGE is a celebration of this amazing, living habitat.”

Here is the schedule for the three-day festival in Lower Manhattan.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19 — LOCAL WILDLIFE

● 10:00 AM - Sample fish populations with the Center for the Urban River at Beczak, learn fishing basics with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Region 2 Fisheries Division, check out turtle hatchlings with the Turtle Conservancy, meet local sharks with the New York Aquarium

● 11:00 AM - Live panel on dynamic creatures in local waterways featuring Brooklyn Bridge Park, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program and NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

● 12:00 PM - Science performance and interactive experiments with Al Leszczynski

● 5:00 PM - Join Hudson River Park’s River Project staff in the Park for a look into the Wetlab along the south walk of Pier 40

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20 — HARBOR HABITAT

● 10:00 AM - Explore tide pools with Randall’s Island Park Alliance, discover local wetlands with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation’s Natural Resources Group, explore oyster reef organisms with Billion Oyster Project, investigate storm water impacts with Newtown Creek Alliance

● 11:00 AM - Live panel on research centered on the Hudson River Estuary featuring experts from New York University, New Jersey City University and the River Project team

● 12:00 PM - Science performance and interactive experiments with Al Leszczynski

● 5:00 PM - Join Hudson River Park’s River Project staff in the Park to learn about the ecological Tide Deck at Pier 26

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21 — RIVER HEALTH

● 10:00 AM - Build a water quality instrument from home with the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, explore local climate change impacts with Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, sample local water quality with Bronx River Alliance, investigate microscopic river health indicators with Hudson River Park’s River Project staff

● 11:00 AM - Live panel discussing water quality and data visualization featuring Killer Snails, Cantina and the New York City Water Trails Association

● 12:00 PM - Science performance and interactive experiments with Al Leszczynski

● 5:00 PM – Join Hudson River Park’s River Project staff for Shell-ebrate Oysters in the Park

You can sign up for the virtual events on the Hudson River Park's website.